those blank eyes seem
to want to say something
that stone face was
captured
with something on its mind

if only words were less
and more than the cyphers
stone counters they
really are
then we might devise a
Turing test to
surprise the Universe, watch
how the Emperors fail, how
down to the
last question
the
gods themselves barely survive

In my debrief you
were the soul of consolation
hastening to point out
how likely it was there
were undercurrents I missed

and perhaps even
great oceanic currents
where the sea sets
out to imitate
the swirl of galaxies.

But Rome would trust her Empire
to such vagaries, never
let her all-conquering triremes
simply follow the winds

and whilst we are about it,
this fishing for secrets,
let us compare our
history in the
dark arenas. Figure how
many gladiators netted, how
resounding the victory, resonant
the crowd to
such perfect kills.